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Skateboarding shortlisted for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Ron Lewis

September 29 2015, 1:01am, The Times

The world’s top pro skaters are closing in on Olympic recognition at Tokyo in 2020Paul Shedlowich/Splash News/Corbis

Skateboarding, surfing and climbing are closer to being part of the Olympic Games at Tokyo in 2020 after the Olympic movement took another big step forward in its ambitions to reach a younger, “cooler” audience.

The three sports, along with karate, baseball and softball, were recommended for inclusion by the Tokyo Games organisers, with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) making the final decision in Rio de Janeiro next August. Bids to include squash, bowling and wushu, a Chinese martial art, were rejected with 26 federations trying to get their sports included..

While karate and baseball were chosen because of their popularity in Japan, the choice of skateboarding, surfing and climbing promises to tap into a younger audience and a changing sports counterculture.